


The Proxy Trials

by PrettyOddWasTaken



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom, Marble Hornets
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 09:54:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3442811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrettyOddWasTaken/pseuds/PrettyOddWasTaken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where the Creepypasta are real, they select several humans to fight to become one of their proxies. One of those selected is Alexys-Jay Jones and unfortunately for her, it's a matter of life or death.</p><p>(I would like to say a massive, massive thank you to MirrorWave on Quotev for letting me use this idea. Her original quiz series can be found here - http://www.quotev.com/quiz/5235034/The-Proxy-Trials-1/ and I would highly recommend checking it out)<br/>-Currently on an indefinite hiatus-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The sound of Alexys’ window being opened brought her out of her sleep. Alexys kept perfectly still, trying to keep her breathing steady, in the hope that the intruder wouldn’t realise that she was awake. Alexys slowing crept her hand under her pillow, fingers curling around the handle of the knife she kept there. The floorboards creaked from two separate places. ‘There must be two intruders’ Alexys thought.  
She could feel a shadow looming over her left side however small puffs of air were hitting Alexys’ neck from the right side. They had her surrounded. Alexys chose her moment to strike, jumping up to slash at her opponent. She caught them across their shoulders, breaking through the skin easily. The other intruder soon grabbed Alexys quickly, keeping her arms held behind back. Alexys smirked at them when she saw the blood soaking through their orange hoodie. She kicked out, struggling to get free of the guys grip. Alexys eventually went slack, slumping against the body behind her. She could feel his grip loosen slightly. She brought her elbow back into the guy’s stomach causing him to double over and release his grip. Alexys followed her attack with a swift knee to his groin. She barely had time to react before a cloth was being pressed over her mouth. She had the sudden realisation that the men didn’t want to kill her. They wanted to kidnap her. Alexys held her breathe, pretending to lose consciousness. The man obviously knew her trick, keeping the cloth pressed to her face until Alexys’ lungs burned with the pressure of holding her breath. She was forced to take a breath, inhaling to chemical. Alexys’ vision started to blur, the room she had grew up in turning into a mirage of swirling colours. The last time she would probably ever see it. As she lost consciousness one last thought flitted through her head: ‘When are they going to notice I’m missing?’  
When Alexys woke up, she was in a simple, undecorated room. The bed she was lying in was easily the largest thing in the room except for the wardrobe. The sheets on the bed were dark blue and made of silk. The floor matched, a fluffy sapphire carpet covering it. The walls were painted a boring white, slightly discoloured. Alexys noticed that she was still wearing her pyjamas from yesterday. Faint voices could be heard from outside the door. Alexys searched the room quickly in the hopes of finding a weapon she could use. After coming up empty handed, she moved over to the door, trying to listen into the conversation.  
The door opened before Alexys could get to it, the men that kidnapped her walking through into the room. Alexys could get a proper look at them now that they were in a better light rather than the darkness of her bedroom. One wore an expressionless white mask, black lining the eye holes and filling in the lips. The other wore an orange hoodie, the hood pulled over his head. His face was covered in a black ski mask that had red eyes and a frown stitched into it. He held his arm weirdly, a result of the wound Alexys had inflicted. They both stared at her, catching Alexys eavesdropping. The former spoke first.  
“So, this is the last one” Alexys glared at him, naturally leaning her weight into a fighting stance. The other man nodded, watching Alexys intently. They stepped towards her and Alexys resisted the temptation to take a step backwards. The bed would have stopped her anyway.  
“"Where am I?” Alexys asked, her voice only wavering slightly. She took a breath to compose herself before continuing. “And why did you take me here?” Alexys voice came out a lot steadier if only slightly breathless.  
The masked men looked at each other, debating how much they should actually tell Alexys. Finally the man with the white mask spoke, hesitating only slightly before talking.  
“You're in Slender's mansion, and you're here for the Proxy Trials."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count - 672  
> Sorry that it's so short, I'm going to keep each chapter to match its quiz counterpart


	2. Chapter 2

“You're in Slender's mansion, and you're here for the Proxy Trials."  
“And I’m supposed to know what the fuck that means because?” Alexys’ defence mechanisms were kicking in. Fight when you can but if that fails be nothing but short of sarcastic. Do not under any circumstances let them know that you are scared. It was something that had been engraved in Alexys’ mind since an incredibly young age.  
"Everything will b-be explained if you just c-come with us to the initiation." The hooded man said, clearly not the most comfortable speaker with the way he was stuttering. He extended a hand, silently telling Alexys to take it and follow him. Alexys took it, knowing that she didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. Besides, it always pays to be courteous to the ones that currently had control over whether or not she lived.  
The path the two men took Alexys was hard to follow, a seemingly endless maze of twisting hallways and corridors. Alexys was honestly surprised they managed to remember the way. They eventually arrived in front of a huge set of oak double doors. Alexys turned to the pair as she took a few steps forward, looking at them questioningly. They both nodded at her.  
"The initiation is right through there. We'll see you later." They turned and walked down another corridor, leaving Alexys to stand on her own. She started to feel the panic set in – she never had been good with being left alone, never mind in a place she didn’t know. “Well, thanks for the fucking help” She muttered to herself.  
Alexys wondered just what they meant by ‘seeing her soon’ but soon busied herself with preparing for whatever lay behind the doors. ‘Only one way to find out’ She thought, flinging both doors open with a flourish, head raised and expression determined. Might as well make an impression, show that she wasn’t scared.   
The room that was behind the door was long, clearly split in two sections. At the far end there was four people, maybe beings was a better word. Each one looked more unusual than the last.   
One wore a simple black hoodie, tears and holes in several places, patches of a liquid that resembled blood too closely glistened under the lighting. He wore a blue mask that had streaks of dirt smeared across it. The creepiest thing was that the eye holes were empty, black spaces filled the spaces where his eyes should have been. A black substance dripped down the mask from his eyes. Alexys didn’t even want to know what it was.   
The one next to him was leant against the wall, absently twirling a bloody kitchen knife between his fingers. He was a smile carved into his face, red standing out against his unnaturally pale skin. Alexys almost found herself admiring it, she had had a fascination with Chelsea grins since she was about 14 but never had figured out why. He never blinked in the time Alexys was looking, she wondered whether he actually could. He smirked once he noticed Alexys looking. She glared before averting her eyes. Another of the men was actually kinda cute in a fucked up way. He was short, only just taller than Alexys who stood at 5’4. He had tousled blond hair falling messily over his forehead. He resembled Link from Legend of Zelda, the replica of Link’s outfit he wore didn’t help the matter. However instead of Links blue eyes, this man’s were pure black, red pupils glowing from their darkness. Blood dripped from his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. He wore an impish grin, showing sharpened teeth. Everything about him seemed to float slightly, like his gravity was ever so slightly off. It reminded Alexys of being underwater however he wasn’t wet. The final being that was at the end of the room was the most shocking. It was incredibly tall, having to bend over slightly due to it being the height of trees. It had a nondescript face, completely lacking any facial features. Alexys wonder for a moment how it managed to eat – or even breathe – without a face. Black tentacle-like things came from its back, curling in the air around it. It wore a plain suit. The more Alexys looked at it, the more a weight seemed to settle on her mind. She started hearing a ringing in her ears, almost like TV static and her vision started going fuzzy around the edges.   
Alexys chose to focus on the Link look alike since the Legend of Zelda had always been her favourite game series along with Assassin’s Creed. The costume was something familiar in all the madness and the blood gave it a chilling twist that seemed to scream Majora’s Mask, maybe even Twilight Princess. It was admirable to say the least.  
A row of chairs were sat close to Alexys, a walkway running down the middle, 5 chairs on either side. All but one were taken by people Alexys’ age. Some of them were trembling in fear, nervously whipping their heads around at the sound of Alexys’ entrance. Others were taking in their surroundings, glancing at the windows and doors, most likely trying to see a way out. Most had their eyes fixated on the people at the front. Part of Alexys was worried about the new people and as to why so many were taken. However another part of her was just glad that she wasn’t alone.   
Alexys quickly walked over to the remaining seat, dropping down into it unceremoniously. The Link look alike whispered something to the others at the front. Alexys had the feeling it was about her. The rest of the people in the room don’t keep their attention on Alexys for long, all of them turning to the tall being who had started to talk to them. Due to the lack of a mouth, it communicated through their minds. It was a weird sensation, having someone else in her head. After all, Alexys’ therapists and family had being trying for years to no avail.   
“Welcome, selected, to Slender's mansion." Despite the strange feeling, Alexys still gave the being her full attention, listening to see if it would tell them what was going on. She was confused about the use of the word selected, wondering just what he meant by that.  
Alexys kept quiet though, waiting for more information. She was also trying to figure out how the telepathic connection worked. It might have been the reason for the static in her head earlier, it would certainly explain that much.   
"You are probably wondering why you are all here. Allow me to explain. You have all been selected for the Proxy Trials. There are currently ten of you in this room, and none of you are going to be able to get back to your normal lives." Panicked whispers erupted across the room. Alexys only rolled her eyes, having come to terms with that fact when she had been drugged. The noise cut of immediately with a single ‘look’ from the tall man. "Only one of you will survive these Trials...at a maximum."  
This time he couldn’t quieten the group. Some of the ‘selected’ passed out, slumping down in their seats. More jumped up, standing and shouting angrily. Their complaining was wearing away at Alexys already, causing her breath to start coming out shorted. She could feel tremors going through her hands. Large, angry crowds had always caused panic attacks.  
“Oh quit your bitching will you? It’s not going to change shit” She shouted, desperate for them just to shut the fuck up. Some quietened, knowing that Alexys was right, complaining was not going to get them back to their families. The rest sat down annoyed once they realised that no one else was going to fight about any longer.   
The man with the carved smile smirked appreciatingly at Alexys, looking impressed that she could control the crowd.   
"Thank you, Miss Jones. As I was saying, one of you may survive these Trials. There shall be ten of them, and in the first nine tasks, one of you shall be...eliminated each time. The last will test the capabilities of the survivor. You will have two days to prepare before we begin. Should any of you attempt to escape..." A sharp pain bloomed across Alexys’ brain, like the static from earlier but so much worse. Alexys was temporarily blinded by the pain, the screeching of broken speakers being all she could hear except for the screams of the other selected. Alexys bit her lip to avoid making a sound, the taste of blood soon filling her mouth. "Are we clear?"  
They all hurried to nod, frantically moving their heads. Alexys only shrugged slightly, an action that could only have been read as ‘I guess.’ The boy to the right of Alexys dared to speak up, shouting out a question with a shaky tone.  
"What happens if we survive?" It was a good question, once that Alexys was eager to hear the answer to. She needed to know if what came after was better or worse than dying during this. Sometimes it was worse. The boy in the Link costume grinned further, his whole face almost lighting up with it. He took a sick pleasure out of this, Alexys could tell.  
"If you survive" He starts “Then you get the pleasure of working with one of us."  
“Pleasure, sure” Alexys challenged. None of them raised to the bait, choosing to ignore her remark.  
"Thank you, BEN. Indeed, if any of you do live through the Trials, you will become a Proxy, a helper of sorts, to either me or one of the people behind me. For now, however, I would focus on being the survivor."  
"Slender" The man in the blue mask cut in "You should probably introduce their potential future mentors." The tall man spared him a glance, nodding.   
"Of course. I am Slenderman. This is Eyeless Jack, Jeff the Killer and BEN Drowned." Each of them stepped forward as their name was called. Jeff pushed of lazily from the wall, doing more trick with his knife. Alexys already knew he’d be a complete asshole. BEN did a mock bow when his name was called, the other mentors just shook their heads at him, probably way used to his antics by now.  
Alexys tried to remember them all, figuring that she would be spending a lot of time with them all in the near future, whether she liked it or not.   
"Should you survive, you may choose one of us as your mentor." Slenderman finished. Alexys sat back in her seat, wondering just what she’d managed to get herself into. At least the game was simple: Play the game, survive the game, and do unknown things to help if you win. Fucking great.   
"Masky! Hoodie!" Slenderman calls, the two men that kidnapped and escorted Alexys here came through the doors behind the selected. Alexys guessed from their attire which one was which. “Please escort the selected back to their rooms."  
“Yes Sir” Masky replied for the both of them, Hoodie choosing not to speak when he could avoid it, it seemed. Slenderman had said that proxies were helpers of sorts to one of the mentors, maybe Hoodie and Masky were Slenderman’s proxies. It definitely would make sense. Masky got all the selected to stand up and follow him and Hoodie out of the room. They led the selected through more winding corridors, Alexys tried to remember as much as she could but got lost after the 4th left and 7th right. The rest of the selected looked like they didn’t even bother, resigned to their fate of getting lost. It really was a lost cause already. A heavy silence had settled across the group, all of them fidgeting or playing with their hair. Alexys chose to make note of all their nervous ticks, knowing her opponents tells would always come in handy. One of them scratched behind their ear, short and quick each 15 seconds or so. Other would play with their hair, one boy kept running his hand across his scalp whereas the girls chose to wrap there’s around their fingers. Two boys played with their hands, twisted their fingers around each other. Alexys was trying her hardest not to let her tell show, she could feel the itch spreading up her arms, begging her to scratch at them. She had been diagnosed with neurotic scratching two years back, although OCD related, it always flared up in times of high anxiety. The group eventually breaks up as more people were shown to their rooms. Soon enough, Alexys was the only one left, taking the opportunity to ask the question that had been on her mind. For some reason she trusted Hoodie and Masky enough to show some vulnerability around them.  
"Is there really no way out of this?"  
"I-I'm afraid not" Hoodie answers. Alexys nodded, exhaling deeply. She had expected that answer. Masky gestured to show Alexys that this was her room. Alexys entered, saying a short good night to the two proxies before she shut the door. She only received nods in response.   
There was still questions that Alexys need answering such as what being a proxy entailed, if she was right about Hoodie and Masky then it must be really fucking boring, what the trial would be like and what would happen if the mentor she chose rejected her. So far she was definitely going for Ben, the Link costume instantly making her like him. Alexys still had two days to ask her questions though and they would probably get the answers soon anyway. She was nervous about only having two days to prepare for something she knew next to nothing about but she was certain she could at least survive the first trial. After looking at the other selected, she definitely had more fighting experience than them. But Alexys knew she held no proper fighting technique, choosing the punch and run method whenever she needed it.   
The events of the day had exhausted her despite only sitting down. Maybe the drug they had given her hadn’t properly worn off yet. Alexys chose to leave everything until tomorrow, climbing into the bed. She was out within seconds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count - 2390  
> Also, just a warning - this work has not been beta'd so if there's any mistakes...


	3. Chapter 3

Alexys woke up to a loud banging on the door. In her disoriented sleep state she was confused as to where she was. However it soon sunk in. The room she was in was not her own. She had been kidnapped and was being force to fight and kill in order to survive. And to think that last week all she had to worry about was the psychology test that was supposed to be today. At least she was missing that.  
She flung the covers away from her body, swinging her legs to the side of the bed. The banging still hadn't stopped.   
"Alright, what the Hell do you want?" Alexys asked as she swung open the door. She glared moodily at Masky. He didn't even react to it.  
"Breakfast is downstairs in half an hour" He said before turning on his heel and walking to wake the other selected. Alexys sighed, resigning herself to the fact she'll have to wake up. She knew that she would have to get changed quickly. Alexys got up, looking through the wardrobe, too her surprise it was full of her own clothes. She recognised them as the ones she kept packed in two suitcases under bed in case she needed to make an escape. Pulling on a pair of black legging with a faded skeleton print, she wore a simple grey vest top. Something easy to move around in but still somewhat stylish. She found one of her wigs that she always, never fully comfortable with people know just what she looked like, it was pink at the top, turning into purple and then aqua blue. The wig fell to around her waist naturally so Alexys chose to braid it down the side of her head, going from her hairline on the left side and going past her right ear. She tied the bottom with a black ribbon. She wore pair of black and silver converse on her feet.  
Alexys left the room, wondering how she was expected to find her way. IT was easy enough to locate the stairs, after all they were just to her right. Alexys sighed in relief when she was the proxy in the ski mask (Hoodie, was it?) standing at the bottom of the stairs. She made her way down them slowly, almost anxious to meet him. This was going to be the first day in the rest of her life and she wanted to avoid it for as long as she could.   
Hoodie (?) seemed to sense Alexys' presence, turning around to look at her once she approached.  
"H-hello. Everyone is waiting for you in the d-dining room. Just follow m-me." He turned and walked down the corridor, leaving Alexys no choice but the follow.  
"Your name's Hoodie, right?" Alexys asked, wanting to verify her suspicion. Hoodie didn’t get a chance to answer before they arrived at a large room with a long table running down the centre. The rest of the selected are sat there, almost all of them looking up once Alexys entered. Hoodie lead Alexys to an empty place and she sat down, glancing at the other selected. Everyone had gone back to what they were doing previously. Five people looked completely withdrawn and another three were ignoring their surroundings in favour of the food in front of them. As her meal arrives, Alexys notice that the boy next to her was shaking uncontrollably, the constant vibration in the corner of her eye was irritating but she knew that it was understandable. Alexys knew that she should probably try to comfort him but decided to leave him be. He probably didn’t want to be disturbed anyway.  
Either way, he doesn’t even notice Alexys’ presence, she shrugged striking up a conversation with the girl opposite her. The girl seemed considerably calmer and they discuss their chances of survival and escape. It was a subject that seemed to make anyone that could hear them uncomfortable.  
“It was brave of you to speak up like that at the initiation by the way. I would never have been able to do that” The girl said, her expression full of admiration. Alexys was about to reply but Eyeless Jack walked into the room at that moment, effectively shutting everyone up. He waited until he had everyone’s complete attention before speaking.  
"Good morning. You've got a free day today to prepare for the Trials, so you can do anything you want. You've got to stay either in the mansion or on the grounds though, otherwise you won't survive until even the beginning of the first task. If you need directions anywhere, ask those guys" He nodded his head to Hoodie and Masky who were standing by the door.   
‘Well, at least I'll be able to ask some questions before being let loose.’ Alexys thought  
"Well, that's everything for today. Meet back here at twelve for lunch." Eyeless Jack finished, dismissing everyone. As soon as Jack leaves, all of the selected rushed up and crowed around the two men at the door. A range of questions were being shot at them, from "How do you get outside" to "Do you have a shooting range?" Alexys chose to stay back, waiting until the mob dispersed, leaving her alone with the two proxies once again.  
“So Alexys, where are you headed?" Masky asked. Alexys opened her mouth to answer before realising that she had never told them her name. If she had then they wouldn’t be calling her Alexys. Looks like that will be the first question.   
"You know my name? Did you stalk as well as kidnap me?" Alexys tone wasn’t completely serious but she still guessed that they would have kept an eye on her.  
"We know the n-names of everyone that was s-selected...it was our j-job to get you all here after you w-were chosen..." Hoodie stammered, his answer making a lot of sense but raising even more questions such as why she were chosen and who chose her. She still didn’t know what the trials even entailed or what being a proxy actually meant. By the looks of Hoodie and Masky it was boring. Everyone had left now so Alexys could probably ask them. She wasn’t really expecting an answer but at least she tried, right?  
"So, where was it that you wanted to go? Most people are outside somewhere if you want to talk to them..." Masky asked, snapping Alexys out of her thoughts.  
"Actually, I was wondering if I could talk to you" They both seemed taken aback at Alexys’ requested, glancing at each other briefly. Their faces were a blank mask, quite literally in this case.   
"What w-would you like to know?" Hoodies asked, tilting his head as he looked back at Alexys.   
"We might not be able to answer all your questions though," Masky adds, verifying Alexys’ suspicions. "You're not allowed to know a few things, and Slenderman will have our heads if we tell you." Something told Alexys that that wasn't a figure of speech, and she swallowed, thinking about what she should ask.  
"Well...why were we picked, out of everyone you could've chosen? And who chose us?" Alexys asked after thinking for a moment. The proxies hesitated, deciding whether or not they could tell her. Alexys kept quiet, rushing them may mean that they wouldn’t answer any of her future questions that would help her later.  
"You were chosen by the four people you met yesterday...they get together and create a list every 5 years, with 10 selected on it." Masky starts. "There's no way to know who suggested you without asking them...which we wouldn't recommend at this point."  
"The reason you were chosen is always d-different, but it's usually a s-skill. BEN likes people who are good with t-technology, for example...and sharp reflexes also get you n-noticed..."  
"We're pretty sure they pick some people with no chance to fill spaces when they're arguing though." They both looked at each other again, obviously a few people had been chosen this way over the course of the trials.  
"You better not be talking about me." Alexys joked, but her voice held an undertone of worry. They shook their heads quickly, changing the subject.  
"I-Is there anything else you want to know?" Alexys nodded immediately, she had so many questions that she couldn’t decide which to ask first.   
"What are the Trials actually like?" Masky shakes his head at her question.  
"We can't tell you that. All we can say is that you should be in top physical and mental shape...sorry." Alexys nodded understanding, it wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t answer the question, it was Slenderman that chose what they could and couldn’t say. And at least Masky seemed apologetic about it.   
"W-We have to go soon, but we c-could probably answer one m-more question..." Hoodie says, turning his body slightly in preparation to leave. Alexys almost asked whether or not there was a way out of here before catching herself. She knew it would be pointless, having assessed every visible escape route over breakfast. None of them were possible. And whilst Hoodie and Masky seem the friendliest out of everyone you've met so far, they did assist in kidnapping you.  
"There's one more, actually. What does being a Proxy...mean exactly? Other than being a helper."  
"Well, you know that you pick a mentor...and they'll tell you what to do. We're Proxies for Slenderman, for example, and we get a lot of jobs...collecting you was one of them. You'll probably help them in their killings in some way, though." Masky says it so casually that it took Alexys a moment to catch on.  
“Killings? Well, isn’t that fucking brilliant” Her tone was more bitter than sarcastic. What had she done to deserve whatever this was?  
"D-Don't worry," Hoodie says, placing a hand on your shoulder. "You won't have as m-much of an issue with it if you s-survive the T-Trials." It wasn’t exactly reassuring but he was trying so Alexys didn’t say anything.  
"Sorry to leave you, but we've really got to go now...the door leading outside is straight ahead and to the right. A lot of training grounds are out there. You have about three hours until lunch, so..." Just as they were about to leave, a voice called across the room.  
“Shouldn’t you be outside Lexy? Rather than harassing our dear Masky and Hoodie?” The leering tone caused Alexys to flinch, flashes of broken memories appearing in her vision. The last and only person to call her Lexy had used that exact tone. Well until he had left her like every does.  
“Don’t call me Lexy” She automatically snapped. Masky and Hoodie were impressed with the way she instantly schooled her face. Her entire body tensed, shoulders moving back as she clenched her jaw. A raging fire was burning in her eyes, aimed directly at Ben and Jeff. The Alexys in front of them now was a fighter, her soft edges being cut away from years of torment and violence. She would make a good pasta, never mind a proxy.   
“So what is it then? Lex? Alex? Don’t tell me you actually go by Alexys or are you Alexys-Jay?” Ben taunted. Alexys wasn’t sure why they were being such assholes.  
“Any of them are fine” A voice was stilted, barely contained anger wanting to bubble over. “AJ as well, depending in the person.” She didn’t give them a chance to respond. “I should be going anyway, nice chat boys.” With that she left, following Masky’s instructions.   
As she left all she heard was Jeff saying “Wonder what the fuck her problem is?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word Count - 1941


	4. Chapter 4

As she left all she heard was Jeff saying “Wonder what the fuck her problem is?”  
Alexys ignored him, baring her teeth in irritation as she pushed open the door to get outside. She was momentarily blinded by the sudden change in lighting. Once her eyes had adjusted, Alexys looked around. Six of the selected were out here, many of them trying out weapons. From where she was standing Alexys could see a shooting range, an obstacle course and a rack of knives. She was sure that there would be more set up at the back of the mansion. Walking around Alexys noticed an archery range, a selection of swords and, for some reason unbeknownst to her, a flame thrower. Alexys decided that the latter was a bad idea considering the vast forest that surrounded her. Obviously the mentors didn’t have the same mind set as her. She made a mental note to come back to the archery and the swords – they were something that she had tried out a small bit earlier in her youth and though she gave up slightly on archery, sword play was still something practised. Alexys made her way back around to the front of the mansion, debating what she should start with. After a small amount of contemplation, she decided to start at the shooting range. Guns provided good cover and it was always helpful to have a ranged weapon. Besides, there was no one there at the moment. Alexys put on a pair of the ear muffs and looked at the human shaped targets. They were not too far away, easy enough for an amateur to get a good shot. Picking up a shotgun, Alexys weighed it in her hands, slightly heavier than she was wanting but it would do. She fired her first shot, missing her target. Her second shot hit the target only a hair away from where the targets heart should be. She put the gun down, the recoil already being to wear away at her shoulder. Alexys decided that the shotgun was not her thing, it was way too loud and would only slow her down if she needed to run. Alexys felt a tentative tap on her shoulder, turning around to see a girl with long black hair holding two pistols. Alexys took the ear muffs of as the girl passed a pistol to her, looking at her with an eyebrow raised in question.   
"They're quieter - these guys did a great job with the silencing." The girl explained. Alexys nodded, turning around to take a few test shots. She admired just how light they were in addition to the lower volume. Alexys turned back to the girl, nodding appreciatingly. The girl only shrugged.   
"Dad used to take me to the local shooting range all the time, so I know about these things." She then reached out a hand for Alexys to shake. “I’m Katie”  
“Alexys and many variations thereupon.” Alexys said, taking the offered hand and shaking it with a mock bow. “You’d think playing as much video games as it do, I would have known this by now, thanks” Alexys joked, smiling at her new friend.  
Katie grinned back, taking a pair of ear muffs for herself, taking the spot next to Alexys. She shot three times in succession, hitting the heart, head and stomach of the target perfectly. Alexys knew she would have to watch out for her but for now she was a good ally.   
"The silencing won't stop people from hearing you but you'll be harder to locate" Katie explained as she shot, once again hitting her target fatally. "Hopefully that'll help."   
Alexys put her ear muffs back on, practising her shooting her shooting for a few more minutes until she ran out of bullets. She looked at the target, noticing that her aim had definitely improved. Alexys turned to Katie, a question on her lips.  
"Why are you telling me all this?" Katie shrugged again.  
"We're all stuck here. Might as well help each other out so at least one of us survives."  
It was a fair point but Alexys knew that if most of them were going to die, there was no point in having friends. It would only make watching them die a lot harder. Still it was nice knowing that someone had her back. Katie looked at her watch and cursed.  
"Lunch is in twenty minutes, and I don't want to be late...you don't happen to remember the way back, do you?" Alexys nodded, the two of them walking back to the dining room together, discussing what they’ve done to prepare during the first half of the day. Katie admitted that she had tried her hand at the knives and hand-to-hand combat but had failed miserably. Alexys offered to help her out after they had eaten, having had a lot of practise during the many fights she had gotten herself in in the past 3 years. The skin on Alexys’ knuckled was still broken and bruised from the last fight she had. Katie had noticed, staring at her hand, Alexys only shrugged.   
They took their places at the table, digging into the food that had been set out for them immediately. The four mentors were stood at the door, whispering amongst themselves as they looked at various selected. As she was looking, Ben turned to look at Alexys, causing her to quickly look away, focusing on her food. She had been known to hold grudges and she certainly wasn’t going to forgive him for taking this piss earlier. Alexys simply copied them, staring at them pointedly and whispering to Katie. See how they liked it. Alexys was sure she saw Ben smirk at her childishness but know she was certain that it was just his neutral expression. Prick.  
Lunch soon ended and they all made their way outside. Many of the other chose to move around to the back of the mansion leaving Alexys, Katie and two other at the front. The other two moved over to the shooting range so Alexys and Katie walked over to the knives. Alexys picked one up, weighing at as she twirled it around her fingers. Deciding it was alright, she walked back a bit into the training space. Katie chose one of a similar shape and design so that they were evenly matched. Katie walked over to her.   
“You ready?” Alexys asked, body turning into a fighting stance.   
"First to pin the other wins. No maiming." Katie said, Alexys nodding in agreement. With that they both lunged at each other. Katie really wasn’t joking when she said she was bad, Alexys managed to pin her down within 2 minutes. They had another round like that, Alexys winning once again, only this time it took about a minute and a half to get Katie down.  
“Okay, how about we make this slightly fairer” Alexys said, placing her knife back. Katie looked shocked.  
“Are you sure about that?”  
“Of course I am, I can handle it, trust me” Katie still didn’t look sure but agreed anyway.  
Katie lunged for Alexys quickly, Alexys dodged the attack easily, twisting her body around. She caught Katie’s arm, twisting her around. Squeezing around Katie’s wrist, she was forced to drop the knife.  
“C’mon, keep going” Alexys said, blocking the punch that Katie sent her way, she couldn’t avoid the follow up attack to her stomach. Alexys crouched down, quickly sweeping her leg under Katie’s feet. Katie fell to the ground, Alexys straddling her once she hit the ground, hands held above her head.   
They both stop then, each gasping for breath. Katie opened her mouth to congratulate Alexys but then noticed the boy that had been watching the two spar. It was the blond boy that Alexys sat next to Alexys in the morning. He still looked incredibly nervous.   
"Sorry...you guys were just really good..." He said. Alexys and Katie exchanged a look. Alexys decided to answer.  
“I know, we are pretty awesome” She laughed to show that she was joking. It seemed to calm the boy slightly.   
“What’s your name?” Katie asked as they walked over to him, Katie putting her knife back on the rack as they passed.  
"Um...I'm Dylan” His voice wavered. He wasn’t shaking as much as he was at breakfast but Alexys could still tell how anxious he was. As much as she didn’t want to say it, Alexys thought that he definitely wasn’t chosen for his skills.  
"I'm Katie, and this is Alex...so...would you like to spar with us?" Dylan looked up sharply, clearly panicked. He shook his head quickly.   
"I'd...rather not touch any knives. But...do you mind if I stick with you?" His words were broken up by tremors, his hands were shaking slightly.   
Alexys knew that keeping him around would only slow them down and stop them from training properly but she knew all too well what it was like to be as afraid as he was. It was fear like that that caused her to toughen up and learn how to defend herself. Alexys gave in, deciding to help the lost boy.  
"Sure...we were just heading to the obstacle course anyway." Katie looked at Alexys, confused for a moment but deciding to just go with it. "You can tag along if you want." Dylan's face completely lit up. Alexys wondered how many of the other selected had rejected him before he had come to them.  
"You mean it? Thank you...I've just been wandering around the mansion all day..." Alexys was glad that he was looking at the ground, unable to see both Katie and her expressions. If that was all he’d being doing all day then he had zero chance of surviving the first trial. Alexys took it upon herself to help him, even if it was only by the smallest amount. Walking over to the obstacle course, Alexys was forced to focus on the task at hand. They decided to have a race to the finish line. And after Katie’s countdown, all three of them set off. Alexys was glad for the few parkour and free running lesson her friend Ronnie had given her, managing to navigate the course with only a few trip ups. She managed to get to the end a few seconds before Katie, sliding over the finish laughing.  
“10 points for style” Katie jokes. They look back for Dylan, seeing him stuck in some netting. They look at him for a moment before all three burst into simultaneous laughter.   
Alexys walked back to untangle him, starting to explain the best places in terms of pulling and a good way to pull yourself up. Dylan listened intently, knowing he might need the information in order to survive. A voice called from the mansions entrance.  
"D-Dinner's in twenty minutes!" Hoodie yelled and several people immediately started to walk inside. Talking amongst themselves, Alexys, Katie and Dylan joined them, Dylan already a lot more comfortable. For the moment it was easy to forget that at least two of them were going to die. Dinner was quiet, many of the selected too exhausted to make conversation. It had been a long day for all of them. All four of the mentors were nowhere to be seen, a welcome change from their whispering earlier.   
Masky and Hoodie don’t walk the selected back to their rooms this time but still offered directions for anyone who needed them. Alexys said goodbye to Katie and Dylan before departing. As she was walking down one of the corridors, a hand grabbed her arm, pulling her into a small alcove. It was Ben.  
“The fuck do you want now?” Alexys snapped, her guard instantly raising.  
“I wanted to apologise but if you’re not going to listen” Ben started to leave but Alexys dragged him back in.  
“Alright, apologise away” She crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. Ben didn’t say anything for a moment. “You going to or not because otherwise I’m leaving.”  
“Okay woman, God you’re so impatient.” Alexys only raised her eyebrow. “Fine, I don’t know what your problem with being called Lexy is or why it’s even that much of a big deal.”  
“You’re not helping yourself” Alexys interrupted. Ben ignored her but got onto his point.  
“But I just wanted to say I’m sorry for pissing you off with it and that I won’t do it again. Okay, Lex?” Alexys thought for a moment, deciding whether or not he was genuine. He sounded sorry enough but could she always trust him?  
“Okay.” Alexys had always been a sucker for Link and when Ben looked so much like him, it was hard to say no. Ben looked shocked, he was expecting to get slapped at the least.   
“I’m going to really push my luck asking this” Ben started, Alexys rolled her eyes. It was so typical of him. “But, when you found out that you could never go back to your old life, you seemed like you couldn’t have cared less. What was up with that?” Alexys sighed, slumping against the wall further. She answered anyway.  
“Of course I cared, I’m never going to see my mum and sister again but life before? It was kind of shit. Just a cornucopia of prescription drugs and therapy. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I tried to run away, even kept suitcases packed under my bed in preparation. So yeah, maybe I’m going to miss my family but what’s to say that this isn’t going to be better than what I’ve left behind.” Ben nodded, silently going over her words.  
“Sounds understandable” Ben eventually said.  
“Tell you what though, as harsh as it sounds the thing I am really going to miss is my gaming consoles” Alexys confessed, only sounding half-joking.  
“Hmm, see we’ve found ourselves a gamer” Ben teased. “I noticed them pyjamas you know. I like a girl who likes Zelda”  
“Oh really?” Alexys couldn’t tell how they had went from fighting to flirting but the thing that was most concerning was that she was completely overlooking that fact that the man in front of her had killed people. She couldn’t bring herself to care as much as she should have.  
“Yeah and you should really wear shorts more often” Ben winked, leaning into her. Alexys laughed, slapping his lightly on the arm.  
“I should probably get to sleep, big day an’ all” She said, lingering slightly.  
“Can I join you?” Ben flirted, not completely serious.  
“Fuck off” Alexys pushed him lightly, not enough to even make him stumble, but using the force to push herself backwards as she walked off. And if she swung her hips a little bit more than necessary then it was only to tease him, completely in jest.   
Once she reached her room, Alexys took a quick shower before getting changed into her pyjamas, unable to stop herself from thinking about Ben’s comments. It was then that she realised she only had one more day before the trial and Alexys had no idea what was in store for her. She had one day to refine her skill and then there was nothing she could do. Still, she had to remain confident that she could get through the first trial and there was other selected who were much worse than she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... it's been a while, huh?  
> Word Count - 2552


	5. AUTHOR'S NOTE (aka I suck)

I'm going to start by saying I'm so sorry to those of you who were actually following this, I suck I know. I was planning on getting updates out quickly but considering that I last updated months ago, that clearly did not go to plan. That being said, this story is being temporarily discontinued. I am planning on continuing it in the future but right now I'm not happy with the way characters are being portrayed and I'm especially not happy with the way I'm writing AJ and the way the characters are interacting with each other. Which means that I'm going to flesh out my characters and work out their personalities then completely rewrite this entire fic and reupload it. I wrote this last November for NaNoWriMo so it was rushed and unedited (the full 34,000 words [many of which have never seen the light of day] took me about a week so you can imagine how rushed it was) and I expect that my writing has improved over the past almost-year.  
So, goodbye for now and I hope to be back soon but we'll have to see when my procrastination lets me (though comments do inspire me to write more)


End file.
